First female Super League coach opens up on taunts

When Karen Chaula picked up a coaching job for the then Super League side Ntopwa Football Club, little did she know that she would be trekking in a thorny path filled with dangerous wolves that would be barking to push her out of the male-dominated field, Malawi News Sport can reveal.

Chaula, who then was holding a Caf C coaching badge, made headlines when she became the first female coach to take charge of a males’ side in Malawi’s top flight league in 2022.

However, along the way, Chaula spent sleepless nights due to the intimidating atmosphere and ceaseless insults.

Just when she thought she had found her dream job, following an unlikely breakthrough into the male-dominated field, she saw the future crumbling right in front of her eyes.

“I had always fancied coaching a men’s team in the top flight league. When I was appointed Ntopwa coach, it came as a surprise and too soon but I accepted the offer because, for me, it was a dream come true,” Chaula recalls.

Chaula thought she had garnered enough experience to handle a senior men’s team following her previous engagements with junior male sides; Ntopwa Under-20 from 2019 to 2020 and Angaliba Under-17 from 2017 to 2018.

“I accepted the offer because I wanted to prove that whatever men can do a woman also can.

“Besides, I had been involved with junior football sides for males. I thought experience was enough preparatory ground for the Super League. So out of 16 Super League coaches, I was the only lady,” she said.

However, Chaula soon found that it was not an easy ride to coach in the Super League as supporters continuously taunted and bullied her.

“Life in the Super League was not as easy as I thought. Some quarters, especially supporters, were bullies. I remember that during my first assignment, we travelled to Karonga and at almost every roadblock people and police officers were curious to see me following my appointment as the first female coach in the Super League.

“But at the venue it was a different case, with supporters standing behind our technical area. The insults were just too much and, from their words, I could feel as if I was being undressed,” she said.

While acknowledging that most coaches and Super League players were supportive, Chaula recalls a peculiar situation when a male coach [name withheld] allegedly bullied her on the touchline during Ntopwa’s assignment in Mzuzu.

“I would be lying if I say that every coach and opposing players were after me. In most cases, the coaches and players were friendly.

“But very few players and officials were sarcastic while I was on duty. However, the most demeaning and shameful incident happened at Mzuzu Stadium when the coach [name withheld] insulted me without mercy. My only concern was on officiation. I asked the referee to be fair but the coach vented his anger and frustration on me. What was more demoralising and painful was that the referee and other match officials ignored the incident while their bench did not even stop him from showering me with insults,” she recollected.

Chaula said she did not take the matter further as her focus was on helping Ntopwa survive relegation, a mission which ended in vain.

“I was working hard to get the team out of trouble. As such, I decided against lodging an official complaint because I thought it was going to divide my attention. Nevertheless, the scenes were ugly, intimidating and discouraging,” she said.

The incidents were a clear violation of the rights of women as Fifa statutes and regulations include provisions that promote gender equality and women’s participation in football activities.

However, Super League of Malawi (Sulom) Vice General Secretary Donnex Chilonga said it was difficult to comment on the issue in the absence of an official complaint.

“Take note that these allegations have not been formally brought to the attention of Sulom. So, it may be difficult to say what Sulom can do,” Chilonga said.

Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre Director Emma Kaliya said it was pitiful that Chaula was subjected to degrading conditions.

“She was not supposed to be treated that way. It is not surprising that we do not have a woman in the senior men’s league coaching a team. Men are everywhere, dominating.

“This is because there are no deliberate efforts to train women. Sports, and football in particular, is still a male-dominated sector. I appreciate those that have gone ahead to break the ceiling like the Chawinga sisters and some women referees,” Kaliya said.

She conceded that gender activists had been paying a blind eye to issues surrounding women’s rights in the sports sector.

“We need to assess the situation in the sports sector because it will help us to address the issue of violence against women in the public sector,” she said.

Kaliya faulted men for monopolising and blocking women from money-generating opportunities in the sports industry.

In our research, we established that there are 29 female teams, with 10 each in leagues in the Southern and Northern regions, whereas the Central Region has nine clubs.

Out of these teams, only two women are head coaches at their respective clubs, with five serving as assistant coaches.

In the Southern Region Women’s Football Association, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women have Maggie Chombo-Sadik as their head coach whereas Creck Sporting Club, who play under the Central Region Women’s Football Association, have Chisomo Nkhoma at the helm.

The five women assistant coaches are Linda Kasenda (Civil Service United Women), Sungeni Msiska (Mighty Wanderers Women), Chrissy Kasiya (Silver Strikers), Patricia Makwakwa (Fact Women) and Hannah Jere (Ekwendeni).

National Coaches Football Association Chairperson Aubrey Nankhuni said they accommodate women who are passionate and willing to take up coaching jobs.

“Much as we would like to train more women, we cannot accommodate anyone. We need those that are passionate to attend the courses to realise their coaching dreams,” Nankhuni said.

However, Football Association of Malawi General Secretary Alfred Gunda said the association had a way of protecting the rights of all stakeholders, women inclusive.

“Football promotes safeguarding in sports and we have trained safeguarding officers who are included in all teams. [We are also doing something] in that we have a procedure for reporting incidents perceived, or indeed being construed, as infringements on rights and this is for both women and men as well as youth systems of the game.

“All humans have rights and have to be protected the same way at all times in the space of football,” Gunda said.

Currently, Chaula holds a Caf B coaching badge and is confident of returning to the men’s elite league.

“The lessons I learnt were valuable and great. I hope I will return to coach and win trophies with some elite men’s teams,” she said.